1 Adjustment Quin Snyder must make to get the Hawks back on track in 2024-25

Atlanta Hawks head coach put his thumb on the scale last season, exerting his influence to keep Dejounte Murray amid trade rumors, per The Stein Line’s Marc Stein in January.

Replacing Trae Young could also be difficult without a clear-cut replacement available.

The Hawks’ best course of action could be to keep both guards and try to maximize their talents. Splitting up their minutes always loomed as a potential issue, and doing so had some positive impact last season. But they need both players on the floor in crunch time.

The same goes for forward Jalen Johnson, which presents the biggest problem.

The Hawks boasted a minus-8.4 net efficiency differential with all three of Johnson, Murray, and Young on the floor, per Cleaning The Glass.

Hawks general manager Landry Fields said they would explore some of the lineup combinations that worked and see why they did. When they do, they need Head Coach Quin Snyder to lean into that group more often.

Using Cleaning The Glass’ metrics, that group exists.

Bogdan Bogdanovic could be key to unlocking Hawks stars

The Hawks posted a plus-12.5 net efficiency differential when the trio of Johnson, Murray, and Young shared the floor alongside Bogdan Bogdanovic and Onyeka Okongwu.

That group saw just 64 possessions together all season; hardly enough to draw any strong conclusions from. However, a similar group – one that featured Clint Capela at center instead of Okongwu – had a plus-3.2 differential, albeit in 41 possessions.

Small sample sizes are difficult to trust.

Injuries to Johnson and Young spoiled any chance to see more of the group. The issue is only exacerbated by the groups with larger sample sizes posting such disparaging numbers.

Getting Bogdanovic on the floor more seems to be the key to unlocking the Hawks’ top players, with  The Hawks had a plus-16.2 net differential in 136 total possessions with Bogdanovic, Johnson, Murray, and Young on the floor.

A lineup featuring him alongside them and Saddiq Bey boasted a plus-37.4 differential in (a whopping) 26 possessions. 

Bey will likely miss some time into the season recovering from a torn ACL.

The bigger issue is that Bogdanovic has dealt with knee problems in recent years, though he was healthy last season. That could create a couple of opportunities for Snyder to get creative next season, though.

2 lineups options the Hawks can use to save Bogdan Bogdanovic

Bogdanovic’s value to the Hawks – both as a reserve and part-time starter – cannot be overstated. 

If the Hawks want to preserve him for the long haul, though, there are two distinct options that could provide positive returns with more exposure. The first is arguably the most intriguing, sliding Johnson to the 3 and Okongwu to the 4 with Capela at his customary 5 spot.

Murray and Young would, of course, man the guard spots in that grouping.

Last season, the five-man group posted a plus-15 net differential. But the sample size is once again the bane of a true conclusion, with just a four-possession sample size to go off of.

Another option could be to utilize AJ Griffin more next season. He fell by the wayside last season after a promising rookie campaign. It is possible he is as good as gone. But he is a floor-spacing option to open up driving lanes for the Hawks’ top trio in theory.

Griffin did not log a possession with those three last season.

But he gives the Hawks another alternative to Bey or De’Andre Hunter in that fifth spot alongside one of the big, or Hunter with Johnson at the 5.